Hart has in the past jabbed at Trump, most recently at the MTV Video Music Awards in August. He chided the president for his criticism of NFL players who have taken a knee in protest during the national anthem, and joked that the awards show was similar to a day at the White House.

"You never know what’s going to happen at the VMAs," Hart said. "I mean, beefs pop off. Bad language, people run to the bathroom and send out crazy tweets."

"It’s basically like a typical day at the White House," he continued. "In your face Trump, suck it."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which welcomed Hart as its host with a congratulatory tweet, announced earlier this year a series of efforts to boost ratings after last year's show hit an all-time low. Among the changes are shortening the broadcast time to three hours, and proposing an "outstanding achievement in popular film" category that was quickly scuttled.